He made the remarks Monday in a meeting with attendees of the 36th International Quran Competitions in Tehran. He pointed to the importance of contemplating on Quran and warned about neglecting its teachings.

According to his official website, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the Quran is the book that leads mankind to worldly and heavenly bliss and held “The Quran is the book of prosperity and bliss in this world and the hereafter, provided that we act based on its principles. The Quran says, “stern to the disbelievers;” [Quran; 48:29]. Some Muslims forget that, like those Muslim countries who compromise with the U.S. and the Zionists, to shed the blood of Palestinians and violate their rights. They abandoned being “stern to the disbelievers” [Quran; 48:29] and they became servants of the disbelievers. Today, the officials of many Muslim states represent examples of that.”

He criticized Muslim states that engage in wars against their Muslim brethren asserting, “Another group has forgotten the principle of “compassionate among themselves” [Quran; 48:29]. They reject and excommunicate [takfir] the believers in Allah, the Quran, and the Ka’ba. When “compassionate among themselves” is abandoned, internal wars may arise. You see the current situation in Yemen and Syria; Yemen has been bombarded for 4 years now. Those who bombard Yemen are Muslims in appearance, but they do not show mercy to Muslims.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution praised those who gave their lives for the sake of Allah as role models for selfless volunteering, saying, “The Martyrs have taught us many lessons. The initiative taken for providing relief for the victims of the recent floods in Iran is what the martyrs have taught us. The great movement of the people from different regions towards the flood-hit areas is an extraordinary phenomenon. The people and youth go there and along with the young local people contribute to the relief operation using their physical strength, facilities, and money.”

Ayatollah Khamenei described Iranian nation’s devotion to volunteer in helping the flood victims as a lesson learned by the martyrs of the 8-year Sacred Defense, adding, “The great movement which is taking place is rare in the world; that the people take the initiative to assist those in need is a lesson from our martyrs. During the 1980s and the Sacred Defense also the young individuals took to the fields with the same enthusiasm and sense of self-sacrifice.”

He described enemies’ hostile measures against the Islamic Republic as futile and counterproductive, saying, “What the enemies do against Iran today are their last resorts of enmity. The sterner they become against us, the stronger our willpower will become; the more they intensify their measures against us, the more powerful we will become; the more furious they become at our commitment to Quranic teachings, the more our reliance and commitment to the Quran will become. Reliance on and sticking to the Quran will bring us bliss, strength, and dignity.”